60 PE0C5EDINGS OF SOCIETIES. 



on examination proved to consist of carburetted hydrogen and car- 

 bonic dioxide. — *' Revision of A.sparagacece,''^ by Mi\ J. G. Baker. Tlie 

 author commenced by discussing the limits of the Natural Order 

 Liliacece. He proposed to regard it as consisting of three great series, 

 and in addition several abnormal tribes, all of which have some claim 

 to be regarded as distinct Orders. The three series are, Liliacece 

 proper, characterised by capsular fruit with loculicidal dehiscences 

 united styles and introrse anthers (1200 — 1300 species) ; Colchicacece, 

 marked by capsular fruit, septicidal dehiscence, free styles and extrorse 

 anthers (130 species); and Asparagacece, marked by baccate fruit 

 (260 species). The aberrant tribes are Ziriopece, {Ophiopogonece), Gil- 

 lesiece, Conaritherce, SUmonece, {Roxhurghiacec^y Lindley) and ScoliopecB. 

 All these have anatropous ovules, and he advocated the separating of 

 Synilax from Asparagacece, with which it has been commonly joined by 

 recent writers, and the retention of it as the type of a separate order 

 marked by orthotropous ovules, and by its habit of growth, woody often 

 prickly stems, minute polygamous umbellate flowers, stipular tendrils 

 and decidedly stalked exogen-like leaves, with venules reticulated be- 

 tween the palmate main nerves. The tribes and genera of Aspara- 

 gacece, which are as follows, to a considerable extent represent the 

 non-bulbous tribes of the two capsular series :— 1. Dracmnece. Shrubs 

 with proper leaves, hermaphrodite flowers and introrse anthers. 

 Genera, Draccena, Taetsia {=Cordyline, but used on ground of priority) 

 and Cohnia. Kepresents Yiiccoidece in JEuliliacece. — 2. Sansevierece. 

 Undershrubs with coriaceo-carnose leaves, hermaphrodite flowers and 

 extrorse anthers. Genera, Sanseviera, Lomatojjhyllum. Represents 

 closely Aolmeoe in Euliliaceco. — 3. Comallariece. Herbs with proper 

 leaves, gamophyllous hermaphrodite flowers and introrse anthers. 

 Genera, ReinecTcia^ Co7ivalIaria, Folygonatum, Hylonome. Represents 

 HemerocallidecB in Euliliacece. — 4. Tovariect. Herbs with proper leaves, 

 polyphyllous hermaphrodite flowers and introrse anthers, dehiscing 

 longitudinally. Genera, Theropogon, Speirantha, (new genus founded 

 on Alhuca Gardeni, Hook.), Maianthemum, Tovaria (an earlier name 

 for Smilacina), Drymophila, Geitonoplesium, and Eustrephus. — 5. Bia- 

 nellea. Herbs with proper leaves, hermaphrodite flowers and anthers 

 dehiscing by terminal pores. Genera, Dianella, Luzuriaga. — 6. Aspi- 

 distrece. Acaulescent herbs, with fleshy often 8-lobed perianths, 

 hermaphrodite flowers, introrse anthers with longitudinal dehiscence, 

 and large peltate complicated stigmas. Genera, Aspidistra, FUctogyne, 

 Tupistra, Campylandra (new genus from East Himalayas), Gonioscypha 

 (new genus from JBhotan) Rohdea. — 7. StreptopecB. Herbs with proper 

 leaves, hermaphrodite flowers and extrorse anthers with longitudinal 

 dehiscence. Genera, Medeola, Clintonia, Prosartes, Disporum, Strepto- 

 pus, Callixene, Kruhsea. Represents Colchicacece in the capsular series. 

 — 8. Asparagem. Herbs or shrubs with leaves degraded down into 

 spurred bract-like membranes, and their place filled by an abundant 

 development of branches in their axils. Flowers often polygamous 

 with introrse anthers dehiscing longitudinally. Genera, Asparagus 

 (including Asparagopsis and Myrsiphyllum), Ruscics, Semde, and 

 Banae. The most specialised type of the baccate series, not repre- 

 sented by any tribe in the two capsular sets. — The most noticeable 

 points of structure in the series are that, in the first place, such a 



